Melksham mum runs half marathons and buys BMW after quitting smoking

A Melksham mum has used No Smoking Day to speak out about what giving up smoking has helped her do, including completing her second half marathon.

Mel Powell, 35, kicked her 20-year habit in April 2012, after worrying about the impact it was having on her health and her young children.

She said: “The moment I realised I should stop smoking was when I spotted my five-year-old daughter Molly mimicking me as I was smoking outside. I didn’t like my two children seeing me smoke.

“I had been smoking about 20 a day for 20 years and had tried to quit a few times without success, but this time nobody was on my case and it just felt right.

“Back in May I was able to buy a second-hand BMW with the £1,200 I had saved from not smoking.

“I also took up running as a means of distracting me from my cravings.

"I ran the Bath Half Marathon this year and last which is a real change from where I was, as I used to struggle to breathe running up the stairs.”

She joined the estimated 32,000 people in the South West who gave up smoking last year using the free NHS Stop Smoking Service, which launched a new public information campaign today - national No Smoking Day.

Billboards will go up across the county as part of the ‘Be there tomorrow’ campaign, which highlights the loss experienced by families of smokers who have died.

Fiona Andrews, director of Smokefree South West, said: “It is easy to put things off, but it doesn’t have to be this way.

“We are urging people in the South West to use No Smoking Day this week to quit the habit before it’s too late.”

To find out more about the campaign or your local free NHS Stop Smoking Service, visit www.betheretomorrow.co.uk

Mrs Donnyfly - cut to the chase - Fiona Andrews is a parasite - her organisation is sucking money from front line NHS funds while we still put our coins in the Air Ambulance tin.

No doubt Fiona is eyeing up sugar, burgers, alcohol , coffee and anything else the loopy prod nose sticky fingered "public elf" crew can squeeze more public money out of.

Mrs Donnyfly - cut to the chase - Fiona Andrews is a parasite - her organisation is sucking money from front line NHS funds while we still put our coins in the Air Ambulance tin.
No doubt Fiona is eyeing up sugar, burgers, alcohol , coffee and anything else the loopy prod nose sticky fingered "public elf" crew can squeeze more public money out of.moonrakin wurzel

moonrakin wurzel wrote:
Mrs Donnyfly - cut to the chase - Fiona Andrews is a parasite - her organisation is sucking money from front line NHS funds while we still put our coins in the Air Ambulance tin.

No doubt Fiona is eyeing up sugar, burgers, alcohol , coffee and anything else the loopy prod nose sticky fingered &quot;public elf" crew can squeeze more public money out of.

People like Fiona Andrews know **** well that there will always be those who smoke, so they can carry on being well paid for hectoring people who's lifestyle choices they disapprove of.

[quote][p][bold]moonrakin wurzel[/bold] wrote:
Mrs Donnyfly - cut to the chase - Fiona Andrews is a parasite - her organisation is sucking money from front line NHS funds while we still put our coins in the Air Ambulance tin.
No doubt Fiona is eyeing up sugar, burgers, alcohol , coffee and anything else the loopy prod nose sticky fingered "public elf" crew can squeeze more public money out of.[/p][/quote]People like Fiona Andrews know **** well that there will always be those who smoke, so they can carry on being well paid for hectoring people who's lifestyle choices they disapprove of.Mrs Donnyfly

Ironic that SFSW harp on about saving money "to buy a BMW" when they're swanning around in BMWs etc themselves... - using funds designated directly for NHS care and sluicing it on billboards , online advertising etc., etc.

It's a question of priorities and SFSW shouldn't even get their knees under the table or heir snouts in the trough.

See the down-voting prod nose fans are busy.
Ironic that SFSW harp on about saving money "to buy a BMW" when they're swanning around in BMWs etc themselves... - using funds designated directly for NHS care and sluicing it on billboards , online advertising etc., etc.
It's a question of priorities and SFSW shouldn't even get their knees under the table or heir snouts in the trough.moonrakin wurzel

I note that nobody has actually used this forum to congratulate Mel on her achievement! Why not keep your arguments to your own facebook or twitter accounts and just congratulate a girl on a job well done!

I note that nobody has actually used this forum to congratulate Mel on her achievement! Why not keep your arguments to your own facebook or twitter accounts and just congratulate a girl on a job well done!MorSecurity Ltd

MorSecurity Ltd wrote:
I note that nobody has actually used this forum to congratulate Mel on her achievement! Why not keep your arguments to your own facebook or twitter accounts and just congratulate a girl on a job well done!

That's all very well, if the article had just been about her achievement. But it wasn't, was it? It was also used as a vehicle for Smokefree South West to push their agenda. Perhaps you should have a go at them too for hijacking the article.

[quote][p][bold]MorSecurity Ltd[/bold] wrote:
I note that nobody has actually used this forum to congratulate Mel on her achievement! Why not keep your arguments to your own facebook or twitter accounts and just congratulate a girl on a job well done![/p][/quote]That's all very well, if the article had just been about her achievement. But it wasn't, was it? It was also used as a vehicle for Smokefree South West to push their agenda. Perhaps you should have a go at them too for hijacking the article.Mrs Donnyfly

MorSecurity Ltd wrote:
I note that nobody has actually used this forum to congratulate Mel on her achievement! Why not keep your arguments to your own facebook or twitter accounts and just congratulate a girl on a job well done!

Are you blind??

[quote][p][bold]MorSecurity Ltd[/bold] wrote:
I note that nobody has actually used this forum to congratulate Mel on her achievement! Why not keep your arguments to your own facebook or twitter accounts and just congratulate a girl on a job well done![/p][/quote]Are you blind??politepanda